Hybrid Spaces as Connected Spaces (DTC 475)

*** First of all, I apologize to Julie and my group for the late blog! I was sick friday through sunday, just soon after I had my thoughts together for this blog. My luck showing again lol.

Out of the 4 selected readings, I chose a passage from Silva's "From Cyber to Hybrid" chapter. I enjoyed that reading the most and felt most comfortable in reading it.
The particular passage I am going to summarize is in the CR, pages 759-761.
The passage compares hybrid spaces vs. virtual reality spaces vs. augmented reality vs. mixed reality spaces. Hybrid space is defined as the combination (merge) of digital space with physical space. This is seen with cellphone or other mobile technology users that browse the web without even thinking about how they are actually on the internet. Digital devices are used to help users out in physical spaces, such as locating places and finding the nearest restaurant. As Silva states, "a hybrid space is not constructed by technology. It is built by the connection of mobility and communication and materialized by social networks...". People want to communicate whenever they can without having to sit in front of a desktop computer only at home. Virtual spaces are those spaces, such as communities that we have studied, that involve people who would never otherwise have been able to contact each other. Augmented reality is a little complex in definition. Augmented reality is basically stated as seeing (usually but not always with some sort of head equipment and computer graphics) the "real" world environment mixed in with graphical or computer images and data. But, augmented reality can also be a view of real and virtual environments completely blended. The latter definition stated can also describe what is mixed reality. These spaces are not clearly labelled as "real" or "virtual" because there is a complete real/virtual blend of environmental factors seen that keeps one from distinguishing the type of environment.
In my life, I carry my cell phone everywhere I go. When I get that certain ding, I know I need to check my Facebook. I don't think of checking my Facebook as being connected to the internet, no matter where I am. I can transfer money from my savings account to my checking account with my phone from anywhere. This is a hybrid space. Once in a while, I use the GPS navigation as a guide to finding a place or two. I connect to the internet with this ability, but it's not like connecting to the internet to browse the web like I do at home. However, I can connect to the internet to look for anything from anywhere with my phone, no matter where I am physically standing or located. This is hybrid reality. I agree wholeheartedly with the definitions given by Silva and the others in Silva's article about hybrid spaces and the augmented, virtual, and mixed realities. As far as my preconceived personal definition of augmented reality before I even read this article, I agree most with Milgram and Colquhoun's second definition that states "any case in which an otherwise real environment is 'augmented' by means of virtual (computer graphic) objects". I see many pictures on the web and with friends that have objects floating in the air next to them that weren't really there, or friends in environments they really were not in. For example, my friend Steve likes to place pictures of landmarks (Taj Mahal, etc.) behind him in pictures of himself outside so it looks like he was in India or another country. Another friend, Jeff, made a very realistic picture of himself lifting 10,000 pounds by adding more barbells to his weights he was actually lifting in a real picture. I mentioned Jeff because he relates to this summary. He recently bought a HYBRID car that was CONNECTED to a battery. OK, so that wasn't so funny.